


The Campaign Managers

by kikitheslayer



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Elizabeth and William, F/F, Femslash, Leslie's campaign managers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-03-15 01:57:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3433553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikitheslayer/pseuds/kikitheslayer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jennifer Barkley is newly in town to work on Bobby Newport's campaign when she meets Leslie ex-campaign manager Elizabeth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Time Feeling on Pawnee Time

They met in a bar. Jenn had flown in that day and wanted to rest a little before she was shined with the inevitable spotlight of local government. She was sitting at the bar in a green dress, legs crossed, a scotch in front of her. She took a sip and absentmindedly glanced around her.

The bar was relatively empty, because, she suspected, it was five on a Wednesday. Still, the interior was dimly light. It wasn’t shabby, just trying to go for a more romantic atmosphere than you’d suspect from a place where half the drinks ended with the number “69.”

Apart from Jenn, there was a middle-aged man a few stools a way watching whatever game was playing on the staticy tv. He hadn’t glanced away in minutes.

_Hmm, no thanks._

The other person was a woman. She was dressed in a black pantsuit and was seated at a table near the door, which she kept glancing at. She didn’t have a drink in front of her, just her phone. She would glance at the door, then read something on her phone for a moment, then turn back to the door. She seemed to be looping.

_Oh, this could be okay…_

Jenn stood and took another sip of her drink before walking across the room to sit across from the woman. She set her glass on the table with a slight clink. “Stood up?” she asked.

The dark-haired woman glanced at her watch. “Actually, I’m waiting for a potential client. She was supposed to be here almost an hour ago.” She looked back down at her phone.

Jenn allowed her hand to inch across the smooth surface of the table. “What do you do?” she asked. No point in trying to jump in too soon and scaring her away.

“I’m a campaign manager,” she answered, setting her phone down. “Without a candidate. We had one lined up, but...” She shrugged and helped herself to Jenn’s drink.

Jenn placed a hand over her arm. “Do you want me to buy you a drink?”

“I’m enjoying yours,” she said with a smile. “Elizabeth Martis. You?”

“Jennifer Barkley.”

Elizabeth paused and scrunched her forehead for a moment before picking up her phone and typing something. “Holy shit,” she exclaimed, “you’re that Elizabeth Barkley?”

“You’ve heard of me?” laughed Jenn. “Good, you should have.” She removed her hand and crossed her arms on the table. Leaning forward, she said, “I’m here to run Bobby Newport’s campaign. Guess we’re enemies, huh?”

Elizabeth matched her body language until their eyes were less than an inch apart. “Well, I don’t have to find a client…”

Jenn sat up. “I’ve got a rental car outside and a hotel room that hasn’t gotten dirty yet.”

Elizabeth grinned. “You sure are a charmer.” She stood, pushed in her chair, and swung on her black shoulder bag.

A moment later she was hurrying out the door, giggling. A more composed Jenn followed few steps behind her.

Jenn pointed to her car. The keys dangled in her hand, jangling as she tried to unlock the car, something that wasn’t made easier by the quick kiss Elizabeth placed on her lips. Her soft hands cupped Jenn’s face, brushing back her hair.

Just as Jenn finally got the door unlocked, the first few notes of One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful drifted from Elizabeth’s bag.

“Oh, crap…” she muttered, pulling out the phone. She checked the screen, looked up, and said, “God, I’m sorry. I totally forgot I had this thing planned…”

Jenn raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me you you’re joking. About the ringtone. Bailing. Anything.”

Elizabeth sighed, stashing away her phone and pulling the bag up on her shoulder. “Sorry. And worse, I’m ditching you to watch Star Trek.”

Jenn shook her head. “You know what? I’m okay. We don’t have to sleep together.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Don’t say anything you’re gonna take back.”

As Jenn turned to get into her car, Elizabeth grabbed her arm. “Wait!” She pulled a pen out of her blazer’s pocket. She quickly scrawled her number on the other woman’s arm. “Call me,” she said. “I’ll tell you if we find a client.”

Jenn smiled. “Well, now it’ll be good for both of us if you fail.”

That evening, Elizabeth knocked on William’s door to find him holding a bowl of popcorn.

“You jerk!” she cried, marching through the door and planting herself on his couch.

“I’m sure you’re not wrong...” he muttered, sitting next to her. “Can I ask why?”

“I was about to get it on with a really hot girl when you called me!” She crossed her arms.

“Is that why you didn’t pick up?”

She turned. “Get this, she was Jennifer Barkley. Jennifer fucking Barkley, WIlliam!”

He paused for a moment before saying, “The campaign manager?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“What’s she doing in Pawnee?”

“Running… Bobby Newport’s campaign…” She threw up her hands. “She was hot, okay?!”

“So I’ll take it things didn’t work out well with Brandi Maxx?”

“I got a call on the way. She’s going with someone else.”

“So, you didn’t get the client, and you were going to sleep with Bobby Newport’s campaign manager?”

“Oh, like it would even matter. We got turned down by Brandi Maxx, Will. Sorta doubt this election is ours.”

He sighed and refocused on the tv. “Star Trek?”

“I can’t believe you haven’t seen this yet,” she said, rolling her eyes and grabbing a handful of popcorn.

 


	2. Your Hands are in my Hair, Your Clothes are in my Room

The election was going well. Bobby was ahead in the polls, and the town seemed to be enamored with the smart, beautiful, persuasive Jennifer Barkley.

Well, most people were.

Elizabeth sure wasn't. Not when she could see her face flashing on every channel, urging her to vote for Bobby, not vote for Leslie. Vote, vote, slander, vote. Commercial, commercial, talk show, commercial that wasn’t even for the fucking campaign.

You know what? Elizabeth was over it. Totally. It didn’t take you weeks to call if you were interested, and thus she could be pretty sure that Jenn was not interested. And that was a-ok.

… At least that’s what she told herself as she flicked off the tv and entered the bathroom. She stripped, and hopped into the shower, letting the hot water chase away any lingering thoughts about that other campaign manager.

Until she heard the soft sound of “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together” coming from her living room.

She jumped out of the shower, grabbing a towel from the hook on her wall as she dashed out the door. She snatched her phone out of her purse and answered, “Hello?”, trying to mask the slight out-of-breath quality in her voice.

“Elizabeth, right?” came the voice from the other end. “Jenn Barkley. We met at the bar a few weeks ago?”

“Yeah, yeah, totally. I remember you.”

“Cool. So, I guess you haven’t found a client, have you?”

“No…” Elizabeth tried to be cool. “We’re focusing on the next mayor’s term.”

“Right. Well, look, I’m sure you know Leslie Knope has come up in the polls recently.”

“Tell me about it,”  she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “So, uh, is there a reason you called? I was kinda in the middle of something.”

_Something like not dripping all over my carpet._

“Basically, I’m sorta stressed out right now, and I was wondering if you’d like to blow off some steam? My place? I’ll give you the address.”

Elizabeth paused, wondering how she should react. Finally, she settled on I’m-not-saying-we-won’t-do-it-but-I’m-sort-of-annoyed-and-you’re-gonna-hear-about-it-first. “Really?” she asked. “Don’t call me for weeks and then ask if we can have sex?”

“Never said you had to.”

“Just… just tell me the address,” she sighed exasperatedly.

Jenn gave it to her and ended the conversation with an infuriating, “See you soon, cutie.”

Elizabeth stood in front of Jenn’s hotel room, her hair still slightly damp. She swallowed and knocked firmly.

Jenn opened the door, allowing Elizabeth to see that yes, lingerie is something you bring when you get hired to lead a campaign.

“Hey,” said Jenn once Elizabeth had stepped inside. She grabbed a bottle of something alcoholic from the mini fridge and threw it to Elizabeth. “You ready to get it on, or are you one of the ones who needs some foreplay first?”

Elizabeth glanced at the drink, then at Jenn, then… yeah, she kept staring at Jenn. “Okay, one-- wow. And two, that depends on what you call foreplay.”

“Anything that doesn’t involve us with our clothes off.”

“You certainly seem to have skipped that step.”

“I’m efficient,” she shrugged.

Elizabeth ripped the gold, tinfoil lid of the drink. “I’ll meet you in the bedroom in a sec, okay?”

Jenn turned, walked into another room, and shut the door behind her.

Elizabeth took a sip of her drink. She glanced around. It was a moderately nice hotel, but this room was clearly at the top of their pricing-list. She shuddered to think how much the mini-fridge must cost.

She drained the rest of the bottle and took off her jacket.

As she stepped into Jenn’s room, she couldn’t help but wonder, _Am I in too deep?_

It only took the sight of Jenn stretched over the bed’s white sheets to answer her question. _Definitely._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please no one try to fit this into the canon timeline/canon anything.

Jenn was on her phone.

Elizabeth didn’t mind exactly, but she also thought that when a very naked girl wakes up next to in your hotel room, it’s polite to at least acknowledge she’s there.

“Sorry,” Jenn said finally. She still didn’t look away from the phone. “Scheduling a meeting on that Perd show. What is wrong with this town?”

“It’s not _so_ bad,” said Elizabeth. _Yes_ , she thought, _yes it is. But I’m not telling you that_. 

Elizabeth stared up at the ceiling, thinking about her own troubles. She was soon distracted, however. Jenn, while not otherwise acknowledging her, was gently raking her hand through Elizabeth’s hair, twisting it around her fingers absentmindedly. Elizabeth sighed contentedly, settling back down onto the pillow.

Finally Jenn pulled her hand away and put her phone to sleep. “Got a press conference to prepare for,” she said, tossing away the blankets and standing up.

Elizabeth stood as well. “See you again?” she asked, tugging on yesterday’s clothes.

“I’ll be in town a few more weeks,” said Jenn. “I’ll give you a call.”

Elizabeth smirked, her back still turned to Jenn. Two could play at this game.

Elizabeth slipped out while Jenn was still packing her purse. “No offense,” she said, in lieu of a goodbye, “but I really hope your candidate loses.”

“Oh, believe me, if I gave a crap about this town I would, too.”

\---

Three days later, Leslie Knope had climbed another three points in the poles. May as well try, thought Elizabeth.

She dialed the number she’d snagged from Jenn. “Hey,” she said, when she picked up. “It’s Elizabeth.”

“Liza,” Jenn replied. “I’ve I’m correct on why you’re calling, I’m busy tonight. Tomorrow?”

Elizabeth smiled. “You know why I’m calling? Great! I’ll pick you up for dinner at six.” She hung up before Jenn could protest.

Miles across town Jenn stared bemusedly at her smartphone. _Someone’s playing with fire_ , she thought. _Sounds fun_.


End file.
